


Rumour Has It

by Nanerich



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec wanting to settle down?, F/M, Idris gossip, M/M, Magnus Bane Needs A Hug, Preferably from a certain Shadowhunter, s1ep8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 08:42:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20654384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nanerich/pseuds/Nanerich
Summary: Lydia comes to New York, not only with tasks from the Inquisitor, but also with the hottest gossip from Alicante: Alec Lightwood, the handsome Shadowhunter with the golden future before him, is looking to settle down.That is news to Alec, and he is not amused, to say the least.





	Rumour Has It

“Hey, Lydia.“ Marlize Starkweather came running up to her. “Heard you’re heading out to New York.”

“I am”, she nodded, “Inquisitor Herondale is sending me to check up on things. Ever since Valentine’s daughter showed up, everything’s a total mess.”

“You sure that’s the only reason you’re going?”, Louisa Lovelace grinned, coming up on Lydia’s left.

“I am not going there to snatch up the Lightwood guy.”

“Sure, you aren’t”, Marlize smirked, “so you wouldn’t mind if I went in your place?”

“Nice try. I’m going to New York to get shit done, not to get hitched.” With that, Lydia pushed past her friends into her office, the girls following right behind her.

“Who says you can’t do both?”

“And besides”, Louisa leaned over Lydia’s desk, looking around before whispering: “I have it, he’s looking to settle down.”

Lydia just rolled her eyes. “Right, because Idris-gossip is so reliable.”

“I heard it from Sophia Carstairs, who got it from Elena Underhill, who overheard Maryse Lightwood herself. His mother reliable enough for you?”

She stayed silent, but Lydia couldn’t help the grin spreading over her face.

“Come on!”, Marlize urged her, “everybody knows that Alexander Lightwood is THE eligible bachelor in all of Idris and the Institutes. His dad is rumoured to be next in line for Inquisitor and Alec himself is en route to become Head of the New York Institute.”

“And he’s so hot!”, Louisa blurted out with the widest grin.

“So hot”, Marlize agreed. “You know, last time he was in Alicante, I saw him training. Shirtless.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh yes, I did.”

“Right”, Lydia interrupted the fangirls, “because him being hot is the pivotal argument.”

“It doesn’t hurt”, Marlize grinned back, hopping on Lydia’s desk, letting her feet dangle. “And I mean, he knows that you’d be a good catch.”

“Exactly! Besides from you obviously being awesome, just imagine: a Lightwood and a Branwell, joined in marriage… The raw power!”

“I mean, every girl in Idris would want to kill you for it, but I’m sure he’d be worth that.”

“Ah, can you imagine, being saved by Alexander Lightwood?”, Louisa cooed, spinning through Lydia’s office.

“I think I can look after myself just well enough”, Lydia stated.

“Even better! Battle Couple!”

“Ok, that’s enough. I need to get my stuff; the Mme Inquisitor has a portal ready for me in an hour. So, just let me be and I’ll see you in a few days.”

“Probably with a big engagement ring on your finger”, Marlize snickered, ducking just in time to avoid being hit in the head with a wallet.

Fine, the girls had a point; a good point. Alexander was the optimal husband-material and every girl Lydia knew was into him. And she couldn’t really fault them for that, admittedly. He was good looking, very much so; he was smart, one of the best Shadowhunters Lydia knew of; eldest son of one of the most influential and respectable families in Idris and he had the most promising future ahead of him.

Long story short, a girl had to be out of her mind not to want him.

Now, Lydia wasn’t exactly into all that gossip; she really didn’t get all the girls angsting after him, keeping track of his marital status or fantasizing about that guy. She’d be lying though, if she said she wasn’t intrigued. And Lydia was really looking forward to meeting him soon.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Alec? You alright?”

So lost in his thoughts, Alec didn’t hear Izzy walk up until she stood right in front of him.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because ever since you and Lydia came back, you’ve been extra grumpy.” She looked up at him with those big, soul-searching eyes and he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t budge until he told her the truth.

“Haven’t you heard?” He shot her the fakest grin. “I’m looking to settle down!”

“You are?”

“According to Lydia and the Idris gossip I am.”

“Oh, shit.” Izzy put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. Was it Mum?”

“Probably”, he scoffed.

“Listen, just ‘cause she’s spreading rumours, doesn’t mean you’re forced into anything”, Izzy assured him

“Yeah right…” Alec got up and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I need some air.”

Pulling his jacket close, he just started walking. Why was his Mum pushing this so much? She didn’t know, did she? It would be absolutely devastating if she did; it would explain though, why she wanted him to get married. Just imagine the scandal: Alexander Lightwood – Gay. It’s not like he wanted to come out or anything; if he did, he could probably kiss everything he ever wanted and worked for goodbye.

So, maybe he should just get it over with, marry some Shadowhuntergirl like Lydia. The Branwells were just as respectable as the Lightwoods, it would put him and his family in a good political position and besides, Lydia was nice, smart, a damn good Shadowhunter and yes, it wasn’t romantic, but she would benefit just as much as Alec would.

It did sound like a good idea, if it weren’t for a certain High Warlock of Brooklyn…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Alexander!”, Magnus greeted him with a wide smile, “what a lovely surprise.”

“Hi. I’m not disturbing?”

“Never.” Magnus motioned for Alec to come inside and with the wave of a hand and some blue flames later, he held a drink out to Alec. “Cheers!”

After toasting, Alec downed the whole thing in one big gulp. That was an unusual sight on the normally so restrained Shadowhunter.

“Woah there, those drinks are meant to be savoured!”

“Sorry.” Alec put the glass down on the table and looked around the living room, looking indecisive, almost worried. “Sorry”, he mumbled, “I should probably go.”

“Or”, Magnus suggested, “you could take a seat and tell me what’s bothering you.”

He did not sit down, and Magnus could see the internal struggle going on. Well, Alexander has been taught his entire life that he cannot trust a Downworlder, opening up to Magnus probably went against every fibre of his training.

Tough. He came to Magnus, obviously distraught and in need to vent or something like that. And sure, Magnus would never deny the little skip his heart did when the pretty boy crossed his path but leading a Shadowhunter out of the closet was not his job.

Besides, he couldn’t force him to open up. No, Magnus didn’t _want_ to force him to open up, he had better things to do. And if Alexander wanted or needed someone to vent, or needed help with something, then he should just get it out with and ask; Magnus would not play a guessing game, no matter how much he was into those steel blue eyes.

“Fuck, this is the last place I should be right now”, Alec muttered; didn’t make any move to leave, though.

“Yeah, you need another one of those”, Magnus decided, filling up Alec’s glass again, which he downed just like the first one. “How many more do you need until you start telling me what’s wrong?” Damnit, Magnus really let himself get roped in whenever Alexander was in front of him.

“Apparently, I’m looking to settle down”, he blurted out, eyes wide, putting his glass back down again.

Oh damn; a serious emotional issue, that was not Magnus’ fortitude. Maybe Magnus could charm himself out of that one. “Well, Alexander, don’t you think we should go on one date at least?”

Alec stayed silent; his face still ashen and hard as if he were one of the statues Magnus had standing in his apartment. Damnit, usually Magnus was flirty enough to break any sort of tension. “I’m sorry”, he apologized, “if you want to talk about it…” He held his arms open in the most dramatic fashion he could and draped himself on the couch.

“Apparently it’s the number one gossip in Alicante”, Alec groaned as he paced up and down the living room. “I assume it’s Mum who spread it and according to Lydia, it’s taken hold. I mean, what the fuck did she think she’d achieve? Pressure me into getting married?”

Uff. That was a wonderful thing to hear about the guy you’re really into. Sure, Magnus never thought it’d be a walk in the park, trying to get with a Shadowhunter, but the Clave really had so many sticks up their asses, it was making it all ridiculously complicated.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bitch like that, it’s not your issue, is it?”

The fuck it isn’t! Magnus didn’t want Alec to marry some Shadowhunter girl, he wanted him to come out and go on a proper fucking date with Magnus! That wouldn’t help right now, though.

“That’s alright, Alexander”, Magnus forced himself to smile, “Just so I know what exactly you’re bitching about: is there a specific woman you’re rumoured you’re getting married to or is there just a bunch of Shadowhunter fangirls hoping to be the lucky one?”

Alexander blushed furiously and turned around, trying to hide his face from Magnus.

“The second one, got it”, Magnus grinned, taking another sip from his drink. “An I-love-Alexander-Lightwood-fanclub… Gotta say, if I were allowed in Alicante, I might just get in on that.”

Finally, the Shadowhunter cracked a small smile. Man, Magnus had started to fear that he had lost his mojo…

“Listen, your mother can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. And if all of Idris thinks that a marriage should be of political value or should only be between a man and a woman, well, unless you agree with them, you don’t have to do anything like that.” He was quiet a moment. What if Alexander did think like that and Magnus was here, getting infatuated with him? “Do you think like they do?”

“I don’t know”, he sighed and fell on a chair. “Fuck, why can’t I just fall in love with a respectable Shadowhunter woman like Lydia?”

“That’s not how love works...”

“Well, how should I know?”, he shot back. “My whole life long, I’ve been taught how the good Lightwood name stood above everything else, how our duty to the Clave is the chief responsibility to every Shadowhunter. My life’ll be certainly easier if I do follow those ideals”, he shrugged, grabbing for the glass that Magnus had already filled up again.

“Sure, it might be easier, but will it be a good life?”

“I mean, that’s how you make Inquisitor…”

“I’m not talking about rank, success, I’m talking about you”, Magnus explained. “I’m talking about happiness, satisfaction, pride in who you are and what you do… Real love.”

“Well, not everybody has the luxury to just do what they like, damn the consequences and conjure a cocktail out of thin air”, Alec scoffed and Magnus decided to play over the bitter tone of his voice and pretended, like it didn’t hurt him.

“You came to me to vent and I’m just giving you my honest take on the situation. If you don’t want to hear it, why come here in the first place? Especially since you know that I do not share the Clave’s opinion”, Magnus shot back, and yep, a little harsher than he needed to.

“Sorry”, Alec mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am. I assume the very fact that I don’t support the Clave’s idea of love, happiness and whatnot is the reason you came here in the first place.”

By the way Alexander blushed, Magnus couldn’t be far off.

“I guess… Doesn’t really make anything easier, though.”

“Life isn’t easy, Alexander. Especially the good things you have to fight for. But they are worth it. What do I know, though”, he chuckled, “I’ve only got the odd century of life experience…”

“Right”, Alec nodded with what was almost a grin and got up. “Thanks for the listening and the advice and the drinks. I should get back to the Institute, though, we have a Mortal Cup to guard after all.”

“Sure thing.” Well, the Shadowhunter didn’t look as tense as when he waltzed in here, Magnus observed with a proud smile and waved after Alec as he turned and in big strides stormed back out.

Well, the ball was in Alec’s corner now; Magnus just hoped he would make the right decision. And by that, he obviously meant himself. What a giant fuck-you to the Clave that’d be! One of their most promising youngsters rebuffing everything they pretend they don’t stand for but actually teach it from the earliest age on; all that for a fabulous Downworlder. Well, a Warlock could dream…


End file.
